Day 14 of our 2018 Advent Contemplations.
Welcome to the Blue Ocean Advent devotional podcast. This is Day fourteen: Saturday, Dec. 15. I’m Emily, and I’ll be your guide today.
Let’s start with a moment of gratitude. I’ll give you 20 seconds of silence to think about something you’re thankful for, and to thank God for it. Let’s begin now.
[20 seconds of silence]
Now we’ll move on to our petitionary prayer. Today we’ll pray that God’s peace will rest in our own bodies and minds. Let’s take 20 seconds of silence to pray.
[20 seconds of silence]
Our Scripture reading today comes from Ecclesiastes 3:1-14. During the second week of Advent we focus on cultivating peace—peace in the midst of doubt … surrendering to a God-Who-Is-Love providing hope in all situations. Let’s listen for this in Ecclesiastes.
It begins:
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.
We’ll close today by meditating on Psalm 34:14, which says:
“Walk away from the evil things of the world, and always seek peace and pursue it.”
Take a few moments now to meditate on what it means to walk away from evils things to pursue peace.
Our Concluding Prayer:
Creator, almighty and everlasting, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus my Lord. Amen